Electric lamp and support web



March 29, 1966 F, A Mossy. 3,243,634

ELECTRIC LAMP AND SUPPORT WEB Filed April 22, 1963 FES.

2 /9 2 L" Fi m; J /6 M Zla Invervtov: Frederick A. M05105 b azzf I-Iis Adv-to neg United States Patent 3,243,634 ELECTRIC LAMP AND SUPPGRT WEB Frederick A. Mushy, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 274,461 Claims. (Cl. 313-285) This invention relates generally to electric lamps, and more particularly to electric incandescent lamps useful for general lighting purposes.

In recent years there has been introduced on the market an incandescent filament lamp having a high efiiciency for a long useful life with virtual freedom from blackening, all made possible by operating a tungsten filament in a compact bulb containing, inaddition to the usual gas filling, a quantity of halogen which serves as a regenerative getter. During operation of the lamp, the walls of the compact bulb are heated to a high temperatnre, and tungsten vapors nonmally volatilized from the filament and deposited on the bulb walls as a dark coating, combine chemically with the halogen to form a tungsten-halogen compound which migrates to the vicinity of the hot filament where it is dissociated to release tungsten which redeposits on the filament, the halogen returning to the bulb walls to repeat the cycle. Such lamps, employing iodine-as the regenerative getter are disclosed andclaimed in Patent 2,883,571 Fridrich et al.

In order to achieve and maintain proper operating conditions, including temperature and spacing between bulb walls and filament, for eifective functioning of the mug sten halogen cycle, the enclosing bulb or envelope must be of compact size. The small size of the lamp bulb makes it impractical to simply attach thereto a conventional base such as the screw base commonly used on general lighting lamps and which is large in size relative to the bulbs of these compact lamps. A special base construction has therefore been used together with special sockets. v

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a novel construction by virtue of which the highly efficient compact lamp is adapted for use in conventional sockets and fixtures for general lighting purposes. It is also an object to provide a novel base structure for supporting such a lamp.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a construction wherein the compact lamp is enclosed in an outer bulb or envelope of conventional size and shape carrying a conventional base and wherein the compact lamp is supported directly from the base independently of the bulb. The outer bulb is simply provided with an open neck portion to which the base is attached, there being no need to evacuate the outer bulb or fill it with any special gas. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention a conventional base is provided with an insert or bridge member extending transversely of the interior of the base shell, preferably di-ameterically across its interior, and providing means to support a pair of lead wires extending from the compact lamp. At least one of the lead wires is insulated from said insert member and is electrically connected to an end contact on the base; the other lead wire may be connected through the insert to the base shell serving as the other contact. In an alternative form, both said lead wires are insulated from the insert member and are electrically connected to a pair of end contacts on the base.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of species thereof, and from the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a lamp assemblyin accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the lamp base taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of a modified lamp assembly.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the compact iodinecycle lamp 1 comprises a tubular bulb or envelope 2 of glass or quartz containing a longitudinally extending filament 3 of coiled tungsten wire and a gas filling including a small quantity of iodine vapor and an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon, krypton or xenon or mixtures thereof at a pressure of preferably at least several hundred millimeters of mercury, and even exceeding atmospheric. In accordance with the teachings of the aforesaid Patent 2,883,571, the iodine serves as a regenerative getter to maintain the walls of the bulb 2 free from deposits of tungsten vaporized from the filament 3. In view of the requisite high operating temperature, wherein the walls of the bulb 2 attain a temperature in excess of 250 C., for example about 500 C., the bulb 2 is made of glass of relatively high softening point, such as one of the well known so-called hard glasses like borosilicate or aluminosilicate glasses, or quartz glass.

The filament 3 is supported by long and short inner lead wires 4 and 5 respectively which may be of tungsten wire and which extend into and are hermetically sealed in a compressed pinch seal portion 6 at the end of the hard glass bulb 2. The inner lead wires 4 and 5 are connected to respective outer lead wires 7 and 8 which have their upper ends embedded in the pinch seal 6 and which are sufficiently rigid to support the lamp 1. A glass exhaust tube 9 extends through the interior of the pinch seal 6 in communication with the interior of the bulb 2. During manufacture of the lamp the exhaust tube extends outwardly of the pinch seal 6, as indicated by the broken lines 10, and is used for evacuation and gas filling of the bulb 2. After such evacuation and gas filling, the opening formed by the exhaust tube 9 is hermetically sealed by heat softening and collapsing or pinching the glass of the pinch seal portion 6 at a location as close as possible to the interior of the bulb 2, as indicated at 11, and the protruding portion 10 of the exhaust tube is cracked off at the end of the pinch seal 6. The filament 3 may be additionally supported by a tungsten support wire 12 having one end embedded in the upper end of the exhaust tube 9 and its other end formed into a loop encircling the filament at a point in termediate its ends.

The compact lamp 1 is enclosed in an outer glass bulb 15 to which is attached a base 16 which is engageable with a conventional socket. The bulb 15 has an open neck portion 17 which extends into the open end of the base shell 18 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner, for example by a suitable adhesive 19 which may be one of the known basing cements or an epoxy glue. The base 16 may be of the conventional screw thread type comprising the screw threaded shell 18 of sheet metal such as brass or aluminum. The lower end of the shell 18 is closed by a web 20 of insulating material such as glass or an organic thermosetting plastic and carrying an end contact in the form of an eyelet 21.-

In accordance with the invention, the compact lamp 1 is supported directly from the base 16 independently of the bulb 15. To that end, the base 16 is provided with an insert beam-like support member 22 afiixed to the shell 18 and supporting the lamp 1 by its lead wires 7 and 8. As here illustrated by way of example, the insert member 22 is composed of a pair of coextensive sheet metal strips 23 (FIG. 2) extending diametrically across and bridging the interior of the base shell 18 and having laterally extending end portions 24 engaging and secured to the shell 18, for example by welding. The strips 23 are formed with pairs of opposed semicircular corrugations 25 and 26 defining respective small and large cylindrical openings or channels in which are supported tubular metallic supporting sleeve members 27 and 28. The sleeve member 27 is attached mechanically and electrically directly to the opening 2525 in the insert strips 23, for example by welding, whereas the sleeve member 28 is supported within an insulating bushing 29 of ceramic or organic plastic material, for example, in the opening 2626. The lead wires 7 and 8 of the compact lamp 1 are received in the tubular supporting sleeves 27 and 28 and are secured thereto, for example, by welding. The strips 23 of the insert member are preferably securely joined together, for example, by spot welding at points located between and at each side of the openings 25-25 and 26-26.

The lead wire 7 of the lamp 1 is thereby electrically connected through the sleeve 27 and insert strips 23 to the shell 18. The other lead wire 8 is connected through sleeve 28 and a conductive member 30 to the end contact eyelet 21. The conductor 30 is attached at one end to the sleeve 28 and at its other end to the end contact 21 in any suitable manner, for example by solder 31. The conductor 30 is desirably constituted of a wire which serves as a fuse in well known manner. Due to its composition and size, the fuse wire 30 melts upon flow of an abnormally high current such as is occasioned upon formation of an arc in the lamp 1 which may occur upon failure of the filament 3 during operation of the lamp. The fuse wire 30 may, for example, be made of an alloy known as Nickel D and containing about 4 /2 to 5% manganese and the remainder substantially nickel. Another alloy used for that purpose is known as Everdur, composed of about 97% copper and small amounts of silicon and manganese. The present construction provides a convenient manner of supplying a fuse wire which is ordinarily incorporated in one of the outer lead wires of conventional lamps.

The assembly of insert 22, including sleeves 27 and 28 and conductor 30, within the base shell 18 is desirably formed as a unit prior to assembly with the lamp 1 and outer bulb 15.

The outer lead wires 7 and 8 of the lamp 1 are of a composition and size such that they are suificiently rigid to support the lamp 1 from the insert member 22 but they are also sufficiently flexible to provide an elastic or resilient support for the lamp which serves to protect the filament 3 from breakage due to shock or vibration. By Way of example only, a suitable material for the outer leads 7 and 8 is a wire of nickel-iron alloy known as 52 Alloy and composed of 52% nickel and the remainder substantially iron. However other metals or alloys combining the required rigidity and elasticity may be used, such as piano wire.

It will be evident that the outer bulb 15 may be of a size and shape like that of conventional household lamps and it maybe provided with a frosted or diffusing coating or a metallic reflecting coating. The filament 3' may be or any desired capacity such as, for example, about 150 watts or more for operation from conventional power supply sources, for example of 110 or 220 volts. Thereby, as compared to conventional household lamps operating at, for example, about 16 lumens per watt for 750 hours in the popular 100 watt size, lamps of the halogen-cycle type may be operated at efliciencies of, for example, 20 to 25 lumens per watt for a life in excess of 2000 hours and with virtually no depreciation in light output during life.

FIG. 3 shows an application of the invention to a bayonet type base 160 having a pair of end contacts 21a. The base comprises a cylindrical sheet metal shell 18:: carrying bayonet pins 32 and closed. at one end by an insulating web 20a carrying the end contact eyelets 21a. In

this case, both supporting sleeves 27aand 28a are insulated from the strip members 23a of the insert member 22a by insulating bushings 29a and are electrically connected by conductor wires 30a: to respective end contacts 21a. The lead wires 7 and 8 of lamp 1 are mounted in the sleeves 27a and 28a and electrically connected to the end contacts 21a. One or both of the conductors 30a may be constituted to serve as a fuse wire. There is preferably provided an outer bulb like that shown at 15 in FIG. 1 and which is secured to the base shell 18a.

While specific structures have been shown and described above to illustrate the invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications, changes and omissions may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention, particularly as to details of construction of the supporting insert member, including elimination of one or both of the sleeve members 27 and 28, for example.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric lampv assembly comprising, in combination, a base including a hollow shell and adapted for engagement with a socket, an outer bulb having an open neck portion extending into and secured to and supported from the inner surface of said base shell, a metallic beam-like support member extending diametrically of the interior of said base shell and secured at its ends to the walls of said shell a substantial distance from its rim to be below the end of said bulb neck, and a compact electric lamp within said outer bulb and comprising a sealed envelope containing a light source and having a pair of lead wires extending directly from said envelope and supported from said support member, said lead wires being sufiiciently rigid to support said compact lamp from said support member independently of said outer bulb.

2. An electric lamp assembly comprising, in combination, a base adapted for engagement with a socket and comprising a hollow shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an insulating web carrying at least one end contact, an outer bulb having an open neck portion extending into the open end of said base shell andsecured to the inner surface thereof, a metallic beamlike support member extending diametrically, of the interior of said base shell and secured at its ends to the walls of said shell a substantial distance from its rim to be below the end of said bulb neck, a compact electric lamp within said outer bulb and comprising a sealed envelope containing a light source and having a pair of lead wires extending directly from said envelope and supported from said support member, said lead wires being sufiiciently rigid to support said compact lamp from said' support member independently of said outer bulb, at leastone of said lead wires being electrically insulated from said support member, and conductor means electrically connecting said one lead wire with said end contact.

3. An electric lamp assembly comprising, in combination, a base adapted for engagement with a socket and comprising a hollow sheet metal shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an insulating web carrying an end contact, an outer bulb having an open neck, portion extending into the open end of said base shell and secured to the inner surface thereof, a metallic beamlike support member extending diametrically of the interior of said base shell and secured thereto in electrical contact therewith, said support member secured to the inner walls of said shell a substantial distance from its rim to be below the end of said bulb neck, a compact electric lamp within said outer bulb and comprising a sealed envelope containing a light source and having a pair of lead wires extending directly from said envelope. and supported from said support member, said lead wires being sufliciently rigid to support said compact lamp from said support member independently of said outer bulb, oneof said lead wires being electrically connected to said support member and through said member to said base shell, the other lead wire being electrically insulated from said support member, and conductor means electrically connecting said other lead wire with said end contact.

4. An electric lamp assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said conductor means is a fuse wire.

5. An electric lamp assembly comprising, in combination, a base adapted for engagement with a socket and comprising a hollow sheet metal shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an insulating web carrying a pair of end contacts, an outer bulb having an open neck portion extending into the open end of said base shell and secured to the inner surface thereof, a metallic beam-like support member extending diametrically of the interior of said base shell and secured at its ends to the walls of said shell a substantial distance from its rim to be below the end of said bulb neck, a compact electric lamp within said outer bulb and comprising a sealed envelope containing a light source and having a pair of lead wires extending directly from said envelope and supported from said support member, said lead wires being sufiiciently rigid to support said compact lamp from said support member independently of said outer bulb, both said lead wires being electrically insulated from said support member, and conductor means electrically connecting said lead wires with respective said end contacts.

6. An electric lamp assembly comprising, in combination, a base adapted for engagement with a socket and comprising a hollow sheet metal shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an insulating web carrying at least'one end contact, an outer bulb having an open neck portion extending into the open end of said base shell and secured to the inner surface thereof, a metallic beam-like support member extending diametrically across the interior of said shell and secured at its ends to the walls of said shell a substantial distance from its rim to be below the end of said bulb neck, a pair of tubular sleeve supporting members mounted on said support member and extending longitudinally of said shell, at least one of said sleeve members being electrically insulated from said support member, a compact electric lamp within said outer bulb and comprising a sealed envelope containing a light source and having a pair of lead wires extending directly from said envelope into respective said sleeve members where they are secured, said lead wires being suificiently rigid to support said compact lamp independently of said outer bulb, and conductor means electrically connecting said one insulated sleeve member and the associated lead wire with said end contact.

7. An electric lamp assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the sleeve member other than said one insulated sleeve member is electrically connected to said support member and the associated lead wire is electrically connected through said sleeve and support members to said base shell.

8. An electric lamp base comprising a hollow metallic shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an insulating web carrying at least one end contact, and a metallic beam-like support member extending diametrically across the interior of said shell and secured to the walls thereof, and auxiliary metallic supporting means on said support member to receive and support a pair of lamp lead wires, at least one of said auxiliary supporting means being electrically insulated from said support member, and conductor means electrically connecting the last named insulated auxiliary supporting means with said end contact.

9. An electric lamp base as set forth in claim 8 wherein said auxiliary supporting means are tubular metallic sleeves mounted on said support member and extending longitudinally of said shell to receive the lamp lead wires therein.

10. An electric lamp base as set forth in claim 8 wherein said conductor means is a fuse wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,304 3/1882 Maxim. 1,341,581 5/1920 Peterson 3l3312 1,600,843 9/1926 Pirani 313312 X 2,084,192 6/ 1937 Cartun. 2,175,361 10/1939 Reger. 2,200,951 5/1940 Elenbaas 31551 X 2,972,693 2/ 1961 Rosenberg.

GEORGE N. WESTBY, Primary Examiner. S. D. SCI-ILOSSER, Assistant Examiner, 

1. AN ELECTRIC LAMP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BASE INCLUDING A HOLLOW SHELL AND ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SOCKET, AN OUTER BULB HAVING AN OPEN NECK PORTION EXTENDING INTO AND SECURED TO AND SUPPORTED FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BASE SHELL, A METALLIC BEAM-LIKE SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY OF THE INTERIOR OF SAID BASE SHELL AND SECURED AT ITS ENDS TO THE WALLS OF SAID SHELL A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM ITS RIM TO BE BELOW THE END OF SAID BULB NECK, AND A COMPACT ELECTRIC LAMP WITHIN SAID OUTER BULB AND COMPRISING A SEALED ENVELOPE CONTAINING A LIGHT SOURCE AND HAVING A PAIR OF LEAD WIRES EXTENDING DIRECTLY FROM SAID ENVELOPE AND SUPPORTED FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, AND LEAD WIRES BEING SUFFICIENTLY RIGID TO SUPPORT SAID COMPACT LAMP FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID OUTER BULB. 